JP2017505038A - Cable and connector protection - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus including computer program code for providing damage protection to cables and connectors. In one aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include an electrical connector that includes a power supply pin and at least one control pin. The apparatus can further include a protection element configured to change the state of the at least one control pin to cause the power supply pin to become inactive. This protective element can be integrated with the electrical connector and / or integrated at one or more locations along the cable. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

The present invention described herein relates to protecting cables and connectors from overheating.

Many modern electronic devices connect to other electronic devices via cables that have a connector on each end point that mates with the connector in the electronic device. For example, many electronic devices include a battery that can be charged from a charging device through a cable. Electronic devices include consumer and industrial products, including a wide variety of mobile phones, mobile computing devices, laptops, and other mobile devices. Also, as the features and capabilities available on mobile devices have improved, the power consumption of these devices has increased the need for higher capacity batteries. Increased power consumption and battery capacity led to the possibility of overheating. This can be a device damage or harm to the user. For example, an overheated mobile mobile phone can damage or destroy the phone and / or injure the user's hand or face.

In one aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include an electrical connector that includes power supply pins and at least one control pin. The apparatus may further include a protection element configured to change the at least one control pin from a first state to a second state to cause the power supply pin to become inactive. it can. The protective element can be integrated with the electrical connector and / or can be integrated at one or more locations along the cable.

In some variations, one or more of the features disclosed herein can optionally be included in any possible combination, including the following features. The electrical connector can be included in a user device and / or can be coupled to a charging source. The electrical connector may comprise a universal serial bus connector. The protection element can be configured to change the state of the at least one control pin when the temperature of the electrical connector is above or equal to a predetermined threshold. The protective element can include an electrical switch, a transistor, a mechanical switch, a non-resettable fuse, an electrically resettable fuse, a manually resettable fuse, and / or a positive or negative characteristic thermistor. The protection element changes the state of the at least one control pin in response to detecting at least one of a predetermined value of temperature, a predetermined value of humidity, force, acceleration, and processing load. Can be configured. The at least one control pin may comprise a communication control pin according to a universal serial bus. The apparatus further includes a control circuit configured to allow power to be supplied via the power supply pin in response to detecting the first state of the at least one control pin. be able to. Here, the control circuit is further configured to disable power supply via the power supply pin in response to detecting a second state of the at least one control pin. The

The aspects and features described above can be implemented in a system, apparatus, method, and / or computer-readable medium, depending on the desired configuration. One or more variations of the invention described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description below. The features and advantages of the invention described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. In some exemplary embodiments, one of more variations can be made as described in the following features, as well as described in the detailed description below.

FIG. 1 represents an example of a system that includes a thermal sensing connector and / or a thermal sensing cable, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 2 represents an example of another system that includes a thermal sensing connector and a cable that includes a thermal sensing connector, according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 3 represents an example of a system that can utilize heat-sensing cables and connectors in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 4 depicts a process for protecting devices and cables from thermal damage, according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 5 represents an example of a battery powered device, according to some exemplary embodiments. Similar labels are used to refer to items that are the same or similar in the drawings.

The capabilities of modern electronic devices have increased dramatically. The added capacity, along with the high capacity battery, requires additional power to support high speed processors, displays, and interfaces. In addition, some high-capacity batteries can be charged quickly, but it requires high currents to be carried from the charging source to the battery through the connector on the charging source, the cable, and the connector in the electronic device. And Furthermore, some large capacity batteries can be rapidly discharged. This can be a high current carried from the battery through the connector of the electronic device, the cable, and the connector in another electronic device. Since the power carried through these connector interfaces is increased by providing increased voltage or current, the risk of overheating in one or more connectors and / or cables may increase.

Some electronic devices are considered mobile devices. These electronic devices include, for example, mobile phones, portable computers, gaming devices, and others. Mobile devices can be exposed to contaminants including dust, moisture, etc. In a connector, exposure to some contaminants can provide an unintended path for current to flow inside the connector. When exposed to conductive contaminants, unintended paths of current can have low resistance values, allowing the connector to dissipate enough power as heat to melt the connector material. When this is the case, current is connected across the connector (eg, at the connector from the positive side of the power source to the negative side of the power source at the connector and substantially to the connector. It can flow without going through the cable you get at all). A thermal sensing connector can make one or more electrical contacts in the connector inactive, thereby reducing or eliminating continued heat buildup in the connector.

Further, for illustration purposes, contaminants can interfere with the connection between the connector of the mobile device and the connector of the cable. This contaminant can cause high series resistance in the connection. With power flowing through a cable from a device such as a charger to a mobile device, a high resistance series resistance due to high contaminants can dissipate enough power to cause the connector material to heat up to the fusing point. A thermal sensing connector can render one or more electrical contacts in the connector inactive, thereby reducing or eliminating continued heat buildup in the connector.

Devices such as mobile devices and charging devices cannot have heat sensitive connectors. However, the above (as well as other) overheating problems described above can be mitigated with a cable that includes a heat sensitive connector in some exemplary embodiments. When the cable includes a thermal sensing connector, the cable includes the thermal sensing connector even if the electronic device attached to each end of the cable does not have a thermal sensing connector. Electronic device connectors and cable connectors may also be thermally connected, since devices that engage with cable connectors can be in close proximity when necessary to make electrical contact obtain. In a device connector that is engaged with a cable connector, if the temperature rises, the thermal sensing connector in the cable can cause one or more electrical contacts in the connector to become inactive, whereby the connector Reduce or eliminate the continued increase in heat.

In some exemplary embodiments, the thermal sensing connector in the mobile device can protect the mobile device from overheating in the connector. In some exemplary embodiments, a heat sensitive connector in an accessory device, such as a charger, can protect the accessory device from overheating in the connector. In some exemplary embodiments, a thermal sensing connector incorporated into a cable that interconnects the mobile device to the accessory device can protect the mobile device and the accessory device from overheating in the connector. In some exemplary embodiments, a heat sensitive component located at a location along the cable can protect the cable and device from overheating.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example system that includes a thermal sensing connector and a thermal sensing cable in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. The first device 110 can include a heat sensitive connector 112, and the second device 130 can include a heat sensitive connector. The cable 120 may provide an electrical connection between the first device 110 and the second device 130.

The first device 110 can be a charging device, a mobile device, a computer, or any other type of electronic device. For example, the device 110 is a charging device, such as an in-home wiring alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter, designed to supply power through a cable, such as the cable 120 to the second device, such as the second device 130. Can be. The first device 110 can include a heat sensitive connector 112. A heat sensitive connector can cause the disconnection of one or more contacts within the connector above a predetermined temperature within the connector. This predetermined temperature can be selected depending on the design of the connector. Its temperature should be chosen low enough to prevent damage to the material of the connector and connecting cable, just as the outside is chosen so as not to reach a temperature that could damage the person contacting the connector. it can.

The thermal sensing connector 112 includes one or more one-time thermal fuses, a bimetal thermal circuit breaker having an automatic or manual recovery function, an NTC (negative temperature coefficient) temperature sensing resistor, and a PTC (positive temperature coefficient resistor). Designed to include resettable fuse, electrical switch, transistor, mechanical switch, non-resettable fuse, electrical resettable fuse, manually resettable fuse, and / or PTC thermistor as protection element 210 be able to. PTC resettable fuses can be referred to as resettable fuses, polyfuses, or polyswitches. The thermal sensing connector 112 may also include one or more diodes and transistors as the thermal probe 210. If the heat sensitive connector 112 is raised to or above a predetermined value, the connector causes a disconnection of one or more electrical connections within the connector. In some exemplary embodiments, the thermal sensing connector 112 signals a connecting electronic device to cause one or more connections within the connector 112 to become inactive such that the temperature drops. For example, the thermal sensing connector 112 can provide an indication of the device 110 that indicates that the temperature is above a predetermined value, and can send a signal to the device 110. The device 110 can disconnect a power source from the device 130 to reduce the temperature in the connector 112 via a transistor or other switching device in the device 110.

The second device 130 can also have a thermal sensing connector 112, similar to the first device 110. Alternatively, the heat sensing connector in device 112 can utilize a heat sensing method that is different from the method used in device 110. Device 130 can be any type of electronic device as described above. Continuing the above example, the first device 110 can be a charger. Second device 130 can be, for example, a mobile phone including a battery. The first device can charge the battery in the second device 130 through a cable, such as cable 120.

In some exemplary embodiments, cable 120 may include a standard connector that does not have heat sensing capability. The heat sensing connectors in the first device 110 and the second device 130 can protect both ends of the cable from overheating. In some exemplary embodiments, the cable 120 can include a thermal sensing connector, and the first device and the second device can also include a thermal sensing connector. As such, the first device 110 can include a thermal sensing connector, and the cable 120 connected to the first device 110 can also include a thermal sensing connector 112. The second device 130 can include a heat sensitive connector, and the cable 120 connected to the second device 130 can also include a heat sensitive connector 112. In some exemplary embodiments, the first device 110 and the second device 130 may include standard connectors that are not heat sensitive. In this case, the cable 120 may include at least one thermal sensing connector 112 that protects the first device 110 and the second device 130 from thermal damage.

In some exemplary embodiments, the cable 120 can include a heat sensing structure in the cable having a heat sensing structure disposed at one or more locations along the cable. This configuration can protect the cable itself from overheating due to excess power being passed through the cable. For example, if the cable is shorted, the high current passed through the cable can cause overheating, depending on the wire gauge in the cable.

FIG. 2 depicts an example of a system that includes a thermal sensing connector and a cable with a thermal sensing connector, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. The host port 110A having charging capability can be connected to the client port 130A through the cable 120. If the temperature of one of the heat sensing connectors rises above a predetermined temperature, the heat sensing connector can stop this power flow. Thereby, devices 110A and 130A, along with cable 120, are protected from damage (this also protects anything that contacts the device or cable from damage).

The host port 110A can include a power connection 222 to provide power to the host port 110A and the client port 130A, for example, in some embodiments, the power connection 222 is shown in FIG. As shown, a universal serial bus, VBUS, can be included. The power source can be integrated into host port 110A. For example, the host port 110A may include an AC to DC power converter or battery (not shown in FIG. 2) to provide a power source for the power connection 222. Power supply from the power connection 222 to the client port 130A can be controlled by the switch 220. When switch 220 is turned on, power can flow to the client port. This power can be used by client port 130A to charge battery 250 using charging circuit 260 connected to power pin 226 supplied by power supply 222 through connector 112 and cable 120. When the switch is turned off, power cannot flow to the client port 130A. The switch 220 can be controlled by the communication control logic 230. Depending on the state of the communication control logic inputs 212 and 216, the logic 230 can cause the switch 220 to turn on or off. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, logic inputs 212 and 216 are open (ie, the connection of logic inputs 212 and 216 to logic inputs 214 and 218 of logic 240 at client port 130A is When not done), the switch 220 can be turned off. Thereby, the connector 112 and the client port 130 </ b> A are disconnected from the power source 222. In some embodiments, host port 110A and client port 130A may include only one logic input, such as logic input 216 or 218, for example.

Logic inputs 212, 214, 216, 218 can be referred to as communication control (CC) pins, which can be configured to control the power that can be supplied from power source 222 to pin 224. The state of one or more control pins can be referred to at least as a current level or voltage level at the input to logic circuit 230 or logic circuit 240. The control pins can correspond to pins in the connector 112 and wires in the cable 120.

In some exemplary embodiments, there may be four possible states of connection of logic inputs 212 and 216 to logic inputs 214 and 218. In some configurations, such as the configuration shown in the example of FIG. 2, logic input 216 of logic 230 connects to logic input 218 of logic 240 without connection made to logic input 214 or 212 through connector 112 and cable 120. can do. In some configurations, the logic input 216 of the logic 230 can be connected to the logic input 214 of the logic 240 without connection to the logic inputs 212 and 218 through the connector 112 and the cable 120. In some configurations, the logic input 212 of the logic 230 can be connected through the connector 112 and the cable 120 to the logic input 214 of the logic 240 without connection to the logic inputs 216 and 218. In some configurations, the logic input 212 of the logic 230 can be connected to the logic input 218 of the logic 240 through the connector 112 and the cable 120 without connection to the logic inputs 216 and 214. Which of the above four states is selected can depend on the orientation of the cable 120 and the connector 112 of the cable 120 at the host port 110A and the client port 130A. For example, when the connector 112 is symmetrical (ie, when the connector 112 of the cable 120 can be engaged with the host port 110A and the client port 130A, respectively, in two possible directions), the cable 120 Some embodiments of Universal Serial Bus (USB), where four possible combinations of connector orientations may be possible, can utilize symmetrical connectors, as described above.

In some exemplary embodiments, as in the example of FIG. 2, if the host port logic 230 is not present in any of the four configurations described above, the logic 230 is connected via a switch 220 at pin 224. The power 222 can be configured to be disconnected from the connector 112. For example, if neither 212, 216 is connected to either 214, 218, logic 230 shuts off power to pin 224 via switch 220. This can occur when the cable does not interconnect the host port 110A and the client port 130A, or when the thermal sensing device breaks the connection between the host port 110A and the client port 130A. The thermal sensing device can be connected in series with one or more communication control pins as shown in FIG. 2 or in another configuration. This connection is interrupted by the thermal sensing cable 112 causing the thermal sensing connector 112 and / or the logic inputs 212 and 216 to be disconnected from 214 and 218. Another example configuration includes a thermal sensing device configured to connect one or more control pins to a predetermined voltage when the temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold. Logic 230 can then disconnect power from pin 224 via switch 220. When power is cut off by switch 220, pin 224 of host port 110A is deactivated. That is, no power is supplied to pin 224 by host port 110A. When power is cut off by switch 220, pin 226 of host port 130A is deactivated. That is, power is no longer supplied to pin 226 of client port 130A. Since the logic inputs require very little current, the temperature sensing components can be made small, making them easy to integrate into the connector, and the temperature sensing components are connected to the power supply pin 224 of the host port 110A and the client. -It can be made cheaper than when it is integrated into the power transfer connection with the pin 226 of the port 130A.

FIG. 2 shows at 210 a protective element as described above with respect to FIG. In some embodiments, the protective element is heat sensitive. For example, 210 can be a temperature switch. As described above, a temperature switch can be present on one or both of the connectors in each device 110A and 130A alongside one or both of the ends of the cable 120. The cable 120 itself can have a temperature switch (or other device) embedded along the cable.

FIG. 3 represents an example of a system that can utilize the thermal sensing cable 120 and the connector 112 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. The system 300 can include a first device configured as a host port 110A and a second device configured as a client port 130A. Host port 110A may be connected to client port 130A via a cable, such as cable 120 shown in FIG. Power can be supplied from the host port 110A to the client port 130A through the cable 120.

Depending on the orientation of the cable 120, one of four states of the connection between the logic inputs 212 and 216 to 214 and 218 can be selected. For example, the cable 120 can be attached from the host port 110A to the client port 130A as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, logic input 216 is connected to logic input 218 through cable 120 and logic inputs 212 and 214 are not connected. With this configuration of cable 120, the logic input 212 of host port 110A can be pulled to the voltage at source 222 by resistor 301, and the logic input 214 of client port 130A is pulled down to ground through resistor 302. (Substantially 0 volts, or some other value). The logic inputs 212 and 214 can be connected through the cable 120, and both can have a voltage between the source 222 voltage set by the 301 and 302 resistor dividers and ground. Due to the voltages at logic inputs 212, 214, 216, and 218, host port 110 A and client port 130 A can determine the orientation of both connectors at the end of cable 120.

FIG. 4 depicts a process 400 for protecting devices and cables from thermal damage, according to some exemplary embodiments. At 410, it can be determined whether the temperature of the connector or cable exceeds a threshold. At 420, if the temperature exceeds the threshold, the control input can be changed, otherwise the control input can be maintained. At 430, based on the changed control input, the power source can be disconnected to prevent connector or cable damage and to prevent user injury.

At 410, it can be determined whether the temperature of the connector or cable exceeds a threshold according to some exemplary embodiments. In some exemplary embodiments, the determination of whether the temperature is above a threshold can be performed based on temperature measurements made by a thermistor or thermocouple, or the like. In some exemplary embodiments, the threshold may be selected based on a known melting temperature of the material used in the connector or cable, and the threshold will also cause the user to burn. It can be based on a temperature that is safe for the user to touch. For example, the temperature of a charging connector of an electronic device such as a mobile phone. In some exemplary embodiments, whether the temperature exceeds a threshold, as described above, is as described above with a thermal fuse, a bimetallic thermal circuit breaker with automatic or manual recovery, a NTC (negative temperature coefficient) temperature sensing resistor, and A determination can be made based on the state of a PTC (positive temperature coefficient) resettable fuse. For bimetallic devices and thermal fuses, when the temperature exceeds a threshold set by the device design, the device can be in one state, such as in an off state. When under the threshold temperature, the device can be in another state, such as an on state. Whether the temperature of the thermal sensing connector exceeds a threshold can be determined by the state of the thermal fuse / bimetal device that is on or off. For a heat sensing resistor, whether the temperature of the connector exceeds a threshold can be based on the resistance value of the heat sensing resistor.

In some exemplary embodiments, the control input can be changed at 420 based on a determination of whether the temperature exceeds a threshold. For example, if the temperature of the thermal sensing connector 112 in FIG. 2 rises above a predetermined threshold, the thermal sensing switch 210 can be switched from on (or closed) to off (or open). In the example of FIGS. 2 and 3, one opening of the temperature switch along the path from 216 of host port 110A to 218 of client port 130A is responsible for the voltage at 216 and the resistor divider of resistors 301 and 302. Can be changed from the voltage determined by the higher voltage of the source 222. The voltage at 218 of client port 130A can change from the voltage determined by the register divider to a lower voltage at ground.

At 430, based on the changed control input, the power source may be disconnected to prevent connector or cable damage and / or to prevent user injury in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. it can. For example, as described above with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, a change in control input 216 or 218 can cause power supply 222 to be disconnected from pin 226 at client port 130A via logic 230 and switch 220. .

Although the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 have certain changes in voltage depending on the thermal sensing connector 112 and cable 120, other voltage changes are also possible. Further, any number of logic inputs (eg, 212, 214, 216, 218, etc.) can also be used.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of a system 500 that includes a battery powered second device connected to a first apparatus 110 through a cable 120 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 5 illustrates at 130 a battery powered device 130 that includes a mobile phone, multi-function phone, or other user equipment.

In some exemplary embodiments, the second device 130 can include a thermal sensing connector 112 coupled to a battery (or battery pack) 250. In some exemplary embodiments, a charging circuit, such as charging circuit 260 in FIG. 2, can exist between battery 250 and connector 112. In some exemplary embodiments, the second apparatus 130 may include user equipment, a mobile station, or other cellular device. In some exemplary embodiments, the first device 110 can be a charger, such as an AC / DC residential wiring adapter. The first device 110 and the cable 120 may also include a heat sensitive connector. In some exemplary embodiments, the second device can be configured to operate as a host device and provide similar functionality as the first device 110.

In some exemplary embodiments, the first device 110 or the second device can be configured to control the at least one switch 210 based on at least one criterion other than temperature. For example, devices 110 and 130 can monitor one or more criteria that indicate a possible failure or increased risk in the device. For example, the protection element 210 may be in a state of at least one control pin when it exceeds a predetermined level of humidity, force level, processing load, acceleration and / or detects activity of a predetermined function in the device. Can be configured to change.

Apparatus 130 may include at least one antenna 12 that is in communication with transmitter 14 and receiver 16. Alternatively, the transmit and receive antennas can be separate.

The device 130 may also include a processor 20 configured to provide signals for communication between the transmitter and receiver, respectively, and to control the functionality of the device. The processor 20 can be configured to control the function of the transmitter and receiver by producing control signaling through electrical leads to the transmitter and receiver. Similarly, the processor 20 processor 20 can be configured to control other elements of the device 3 by providing control signaling via electrical leads that connect to other elements such as a display or memory. The processor 20 may be, for example, a circuit, at least one processing core, one or more microprocessors with a digital signal processor, one or more microprocessors without a digital signal processor, one or more coprocessors, One or more multi-core processors, one or more controllers, processing circuitry, one or more computers, including application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other integrated circuits It can be implemented in a variety of ways, including various other processing elements, or some combination thereof, and the device 130 can include a location processor or interface to obtain location information such as alignment and navigation information. Therefore, in FIG. As Guru processor, are illustrated, in some exemplary embodiments, the processor 20 may comprise a plurality of processors or processing cores.

Signals transmitted and received by processor 20 may be applied to cellular system air interface standards and / or, but are not limited to, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, 802.16, etc. The signaling information may be included according to any number of different wired or wireless network technologies, including Wi-Fi, wireless local access network (WLAN) technologies. In addition, these signals may include speech data, user generated data, user request data, and / or the like.

The device 130 is capable of operating with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation formats, access types, and / or the like. For example, the device 130 and / or the cellular modem therein may include various first generation (1G) communication protocols, second generation (2G), or 2.5G) communication protocols, third generation (3G) communication protocols. , 4th generation (4G) communication protocols, Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication protocols (eg, Session Establishment Protocol (SIP)) and others. For example, the device 130 may include 2G wireless communication protocols IS-136 Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), GSM (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark) (Global System for Mobile communications) IS-95, CDMA ( Code Division Multiple Access) and / or other capabilities. In addition to this, for example, the device 130 may be configured according to GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM (registered trademark) Environment), and / or other 2.5G wireless communication protocol general packet radio systems. Ability to work. Further, for example, the device 130 may be a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) or CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access Access 2000), a WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Sequential Multiple Access). , And other 3G wireless communication protocols. The device 130 may additionally operate according to LTE (Long Term Evolution), E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) and / or other 3.9G wireless communication protocols. Can do. In addition, for example, device 130 is capable of operating according to LTE Advanst or other 4G wireless communication protocols that follow a similar wireless communication protocol that can be later developed.

It will be appreciated that the processor 20 may include circuitry for implementing audio / video and logic functions of the device 130. For example, the processor 20 may comprise a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, an analog to digital converter, a DA converter, and / or the like. The control and signal processing functions of apparatus 130 can be assigned between these devices according to their capabilities. The processor 20 may further comprise an internal voice coder (VC) 20a, a built-in data modem (DM) 20b, and / or the like. Further, the processor 20 may include functionality for operating one or more software programs. It can be stored in memory. In general, the processor 20 and the stored software instructions can be configured to cause the device 130 to perform an action. For example, the processor 20 can operate a connection program such as a web browser. The connection program enables the device 130 to send and receive web content, such as location-based content, according to wireless application protocol, WAP, hypertext transmission protocol, HTTP, and / or other protocols. To do.

The device 130 may also include, for example, an earphone or speaker 24, a ringer 22, a microphone 26, a display 28, a user input interface, and / or other user interfaces. It can be operatively coupled to the processor 20. The display 28 may include a touch sensitive display, as described above, where the user touches and / or to make a selection, enter a value, and / or make other Can be a gesture. The processor 20 is also configured to control at least some functions of the speaker 24, the bell 22, the microphone 26, the display 28, and / or one or more other elements of the user interface. Interface circuitry can also be included. The processor 20 and the user interface circuit comprising the processor 20 are, for example, computer software such as volatile memory 40, non-volatile memory 42, and / or software or firmware stored on other memory accessible to the processor 20. It can be configured to control one or more functions of one or more elements of the user interface through program instructions. Device 130 may include a battery to power various circuits associated with the mobile terminal, such as, for example, a circuit that provides mechanical vibration as a detectable output. The user input interface may include a keypad 30 (which may be a virtual keyboard shown on the display 28 or an externally coupled keyboard) and / or other input devices that the device 130 receives data on. A device can be provided that makes it possible.

Further, apparatus 130 can include a short range radio frequency (RF) transceiver and / or interrogator 64 so that data can be shared with and / or obtained from an electronic device in accordance with RF technology. be able to. The device 130 may include an infrared (IR) transceiver 66, a Bluetooth® (BT) transceiver 68 that operates using Bluetooth® wireless technology, a wireless universal serial (USB) transceiver 70, and / or other Other short range transceivers can be included. The Bluetooth® transceiver 68 may be able to operate according to low power or ultra low power Bluetooth® technology, such as, for example, Wibre, a radio standard. In this regard, the device 130, and in particular the short-range transceiver, can send data to and receive data from electronic devices in the vicinity of the device, such as within 10 meters. The device 130, including WiFi or wireless local area network modem, is also capable of 6LoWpan, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi low power, IEEE 802.11 technology, IEEE 802.15 technology, IEEE 802.16 technology and others According to various wireless network technologies including WLAN technology, data can be transmitted from and received from an electronic device.

Device 130 may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) 38, a removable user identification module (R-UIM), and other memory. It can store information elements relevant to mobile subscribers. In addition to the SIM, the device 130 can include other removable and / or fixed memory. The device 130 can include a volatile memory 40 and a non-volatile memory 42. For example, volatile memory 40 may include random access memory (RAM) including dynamic and / or static RAM, on-chip or off-chip cache memory, and / or the like. The embeddable and removable non-volatile memory 42 includes, for example, read-only memory, flash memory, magnetic storage devices such as hard disk, floppy disk drive, magnetic tape, optical disk drive and / or Or media, non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) and / or the like can be included. Like volatile memory 40, non-volatile memory 42 may include a cache area for temporary storage of data. At least a portion of volatile or non-volatile memory can be embedded in the processor 20. These memories may store one or more software programs, instructions, pieces of information, data, etc. It can be used by the device to perform the functions of the user device or mobile terminal. These memories may comprise an identifier, such as an international mobile equipment identification (IMEI) code, that is capable of uniquely identifying the device 130. These functions may include one or more of the operations disclosed herein with respect to the battery protection disclosed herein, including the process flow of FIG. 4 and others. These memories may comprise an identifier such as an international mobile equipment identification (IMEI) code capable of uniquely identifying the device 130. In the exemplary embodiment, processor 20 may be configured to provide the operations disclosed with respect to the processes shown in FIG. 4 and others using computer code stored in memory 40 and / or 42.

Some of the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic, and the software, application logic, and The hardware may reside in the memory 40, the controller 20, the electronic component disclosed herein, or the like. In some exemplary embodiments, the application logic, software, or instruction set is maintained on any one of a variety of conventional computer readable media. In the context of this document, “computer-readable medium” is used in the example depicted in FIG. 5 by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer or data processor circuit. It can be any fixed media that can contain, store, communicate, transmit, transmit, or carry its instructions for. The computer-readable medium comprises a fixed computer-readable storage medium that can be any medium that can store or contain instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus or device such as a computer. be able to. Furthermore, some of the embodiments disclosed herein include a computer program configured to perform the methods as disclosed herein (see the process of FIG. 4 and others).

The invention described herein may be embodied in a system, apparatus, method, and / or article of desired configuration. For example, systems, apparatus, methods, and / or articles described herein may include transistors, inductors, capacitors, resistors, other electronic components, processors that execute program code, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), It can be implemented using one or more of a digital signal processor (DSP), an embedded processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or combinations thereof. These various exemplary embodiments include implementations in one or more computer programs that are executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system that includes at least one programmable processor. be able to. The processor may be dedicated or general purpose and receives and receives data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. To be transmitted. These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, applications, components, program code or code) contain machine language instructions for programmable processors and are high-level procedural And / or can be implemented in an object-oriented programming language and / or in an assembly / machine language. As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium” refers to providing machine language instructions and data to any computer program product, computer-readable medium, computer-readable storage medium, programmable processor. Also refers to an apparatus or device (e.g., magnetic disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)), and includes machine-readable media that receives machine language instructions. Similarly, a system that can include a processor and memory coupled to the processor is also described herein. The memory can include one or more programs that cause a processor to perform one or more of the operations described herein.

Although some of the examples described herein refer to the use of LTE, WiFi, and other specific technologies, the invention described herein is not limited to those technologies, and It can also be used with other radio technologies.

Without limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the following claims in any way, one or more of the technical effects of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may prevent power supply. Protect electronic devices from overheating using heat sensitive components in connectors and cables.

Although some variations have been detailed above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, additional features and variations may be provided in addition to those described herein. Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments described above may refer to various exemplary combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and / or some additional feature combinations and subcombinations disclosed above. . In addition, the logic flows depicted and / or described herein in the accompanying drawings do not require the specific order shown to achieve the desired results. Other exemplary embodiments may be within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (18)

An electrical connector with power supply pins;
At least one control pin;
A protection element configured to change the at least one control pin from a first state to a second state to render the power supply pin inactive;
A device comprising:   The protection element causes the at least one control pin to change from the first state to the second state when the temperature of the electrical connector is above or equal to a predetermined threshold. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein   And further comprising a control circuit configured to allow power to be supplied through the power supply pin in response to detecting the first state of the at least one control pin. Is configured to disable power supply via the power supply pin in response to detecting the second state of the at least one control pin. The device described in 1.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector comprises a universal serial bus connector.   The protection element comprises at least one of an electrical switch, a transistor, a mechanical switch, a non-resettable fuse, an electrically resettable fuse, a manually resettable fuse, and a positive or negative characteristic thermistor. The apparatus according to any one of 1 to 4.   6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one control pin comprises a communication control pin according to a universal serial bus.   7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protection element is connected in series with the at least one control pin.   The device of claim 1, wherein a user device comprises the electrical connector.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is coupled to a charging power source.   The protection element detects the at least one control pin from the first state to the second in response to detecting at least one of a predetermined value of humidity, force, acceleration, and processing load. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to change to a state of:   Changing the at least one control pin by a protection element from a first state to a second state to cause the power supply pin to become inactive, the electrical connector comprising the power connector A method comprising a supply pin and the at least one control pin. Allowing power to be supplied via the power supply pin in response to detecting the first state of the at least one control pin;
Disabling power from being supplied via the power supply pin in response to detecting the second state of the at least one control pin;
Further including
The protection element causes the at least one control pin to change from the first state to the second state when the temperature of the electrical connector is above or equal to a predetermined threshold. The method of claim 11, wherein   13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the electrical connector comprises a universal serial bus connector and the at least one control pin comprises a communication control pin according to a universal serial bus.   The protection element comprises at least one of an electrical switch, a transistor, a mechanical switch, a non-resettable fuse, an electrically resettable fuse, a manually resettable fuse, and a positive or negative characteristic thermistor. 14. The method according to any one of 11 to 13.   15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the protection element is connected in series with the at least one control pin.   The protection element detects the at least one control pin from the first state to the second in response to detecting at least one of a predetermined value of humidity, force, acceleration, and processing load. The method of claim 11, further configured to change to a state of:   An apparatus comprising means for changing, by a protective element, at least one control pin from a first state to a second state in order to deactivate the power supply pin, wherein an electrical connector comprises the power supply pin And an apparatus comprising the at least one control pin. When executed on at least one processor, at least by the protection element, changing the at least one control pin from the first state to the second state to cause the power supply pin to become inactive. A fixed computer readable medium encoding instructions for execution,
A fixed computer-readable medium, wherein an electrical connector comprises the power supply pin and the at least one control pin.

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